


Who’s the Rickest Rick?

by SaltNPeppa



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Angst, Bad Ending, Character Death, Cheating, Cussing, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Inter dimensional, Jealousy, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Manipulation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Physical and mental abuse broh, Possessive Behavior, Pretty sure I kept this gender-neutral, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:14:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24447895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaltNPeppa/pseuds/SaltNPeppa
Summary: “Y-You-you’d think it’d be like a movie, where you would tell me your last words, b-b-but this is reality. One moment you were alive, the next you were dead. And it was all because of me.”
Relationships: Rick Sanchez/Reader, Rookie Cop Rick (Rick and Morty)/Reader
Comments: 38
Kudos: 53





	1. Just Friends (?)

“S-S-So what’d you want me to do about it?” Rick uttered indifferently, “Me being t-t-the genius that I am doesn’t warrant helping you all-all the time.” He finished with a burp, neglecting to turn and actually look at you. This only fumed your anger. 

“I want you to  fix  it.” You stressed as you crossed your arms, watching your Rick continue screwing the bolt in some new contraption you weren’t interested in.

He only hummed in response, neglecting to give you the time of day. Your anger finally exploded, causing you to burst into silent tears which warmed your cheeks and they plopped onto your collarbone. You hated when you cried from anger, especially around Rick. 

Silently holding in the hiccups and shakiness to avoid causing Rick more trouble, you exited the garage — but only after taking the portal gun that was residing on the counter.before Rick could see your messy appearance, you wiped the tears from your wet cheeks, making sure to create as much distance from Rick to avoid raising suspicion before tapping some well-known coordinates that you had memorized into the portal gun, stepping through the green-swirly mass.

As the scene behind you disappeared, your eyes were greeted with a new one. You gazed around, a smile immediately etched on your face as you stood in front of your favorite cafe. Several Ricks, some with their Mortys sat around the lively establishment as the smell of spiced tea and warm coffee beans swarmed to your nose, enveloping you blissfully. You made your way inside the dimly lit place, ignoring the suggestive stares and whistles from some of the more rowdy Ricks. 

“What’ll it be sweet cheeks?” The Rick at the cashier asked, a smirk dancing across his features. 

“Do you have anything sweet?” You asked, the sadness of the situation once again settling on your chest as you tried your best to keep your tears from spilling from your eyes. You were being dramatic. Rick was right. You couldn’t rely on him for everything you needed. 

Cashier Rick turned wordlessly during your daydreamed state, conjuring up a hot cup of chocolate cocoa. “On the house.” He relayed, smiling as your eyes lit up. 

“Seriously? Thank you, Rick.” You felt touched at the simple act as you took the hot chocolate into both hands, allowing your hands to internalize the warm heat, ignoring the wink the man gave you as you descended to find a seat.

You settled for a seat in the corner, one with two chairs and a small, minimal square table. As you set the sweet drink down, looking down at the liquid and allowing your thoughts to once again drift to the fight with your Rick. Or rather, the lack of a fight. You would have preferred Rick yelling; getting angry — anything! But being met with silence and indifference like a small child made you more sad than anything.

The fact that your relationship with Rick was going downhill was something you didn’t want to acknowledge. Rick began giving you less time of his day, and you began seeing him around less and less. He always preferred to go on adventures with Morty, but even then, he used to make it up to you. With kisses, with caresses — cuddles, even. Now, he barely looked your way. The worse part was the fact that you don’t know what you did to deserve this treatment. You refused to let your tears fall, but a single droplet escaped your eyes, plopping into your hot chocolate and creating a ripple.

“Is y-your drink really that interesting?” A voice cut into your circular thoughts, startling you into looking up. It was a Rick. Not just  any Rick; a cop Rick. His expression was teasing. When you didn’t reply, he continued, “Mind if I take a seat?”

“Sure.” You answered after a short moment, unable to help the heat that you could feel on your cheeks. You swiped away the single tear that had escaped your guard as you observed the other man. Unlike most Ricks you’ve run into, this one was put together, with drool nowhere to be found. His suit was black and  tight  fitting, outlining the lines of his body that you thought were unbelievably...

“...hot?” The Rick questioned, pointing at yourdrink. 

You blinked several times, only catching the end of the sentence cop Rick had been spewing. “What..sorry, what did you ask?” You bit out, more embarrassed at how dumb you were acting suddenly. 

He chuckled, surprising you with no snide remarks or irritation directed your way. “I said is your drink too hot?” 

“No!” You answered quickly, realizing you had been staring at the man intently, likely creeping him out. You raised the mug between your two hands, attempting to showcase how  not hot the drink was and failing when your lip made contact with the drink, instantly burning you as you made a yelp. 

Cop Rick laughed at the silly display, causing your cheeks to redden as you set the cup down. “I guess it is kinda hot.” You answered, unable to hold back a smile. 

“I’d s-say.” Cop Rick replied, his eyes raking over your form, stopping his gaze at your lips. 

You let out a small snort, turning your head away and snickering with a sheepish, “Oh, stop it!” 

“Can I accompany you back to your-your dimension, sweetness?” Cop Rick asked as he leaned forward, propping his elbow on the table and a palm on his cheek, waiting for your reply as if you were the most important thing in the galaxy. 

The straightforward attention caused butterflies in your stomach, as if you were a teenager. You bit the inside of your cheek, suddenly burdened with remembering your situation back in your dimension. 

“I..no, I..I’m not really looking to go back to my dimension for..a little while.” You spoke, trailing off softly and drawing your pointer finger in circular motions along the top of the mug to avoid looking at the man in front of you. 

“Rick troubles?” He questioned, surprising you with how accurate he was. Your features reverted to your previous melancholy expression, wordlessly answering his question. 

“I hope this isn’t forward of me, b-b-but I have this upcoming..upcoming weekend off. Cop Rick started, leaning his hand forward to caress your own which was wrapped tightly around your mug. “Spend it with me?” 


	2. Smooth Criminal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa  
> Slide into my dms

Cop Rick noticed your slight hesitance at his question, pulling his hand away from were it laid on yours to watch you. He quickly added, “I-I-If you want, obviously.” 

You let out a small laugh at his caring attitude, shifting in your seat to sit up further. “I’m sorry, I..I don’t really know. I need to head back to my dimension before my Rick gets angry.” 

“He doesn’t-doesn’t control you.” Rick persuaded, his eagerness evident by the way he leaned forward in his chair. 

“I know he doesn’t, bu—“ You started, only to be interrupted suddenly by the walkie talkie hanging on his police vest pocket. 

_Code 647. Need-Need backup f-from surrounding police-Ricks_

You heard the walkie talkie screech in its gritty fashion, cop Rick’s attention already diverted from you to the contraption. 

“L-Listen,” Rick began, standing up and pushing his chair back to leave. “You didn’t say-say no, so I’m gonna take that as a ‘yes’. Give me a call, yeah?” Rick asked, taking a nearby napkin and scribbling his phone number on it messily, the napkin tearing multiple times as he cursed silently. Once he successfully completed the task, he slid the napkin toward you and tucked his pen back into his pocket. 

“Catch you later, cutie.” Rick finished, leaving before your reply. You sat there, slightly giddy and excited at your new relationship — whatever this entailed, exactly. You sat there several minutes more, now in a slightly more chipper mood. Quickly, you downed the now cold chocolate drink and took the scribbled-on napkin, sliding out of your chair to leave and using the portal gun to return to your dimension. 

“W-w-what the  Hell,”  Your Rick yelled as soon as you stepped out the green portal, it closing behind you. “Where the fuck have you been? You took my portal gun!”

The reality of your situation and the stress behind it was thrown back on your chest like a ton brick, your lips curving into a frown as Rick snatched the portal gun from your grasp. You secretly tucked the napkin into your back pocket before he would notice. 

“Sorry Rick. I just needed to go somewhere.”

“Go somewhere  _outside_ then. You don’t need to t-travel dimensions,” Rick started, examining the portal gun for any imperfections before turning to glance at you, irritation apparent in his features. “I’m not-not gonna save you if you get captured by intergalactic aliens. 

“Sorry, I know.” You repeated flatly, leaving upstairs to Morty’s room to avoid crying in front of Rick. You felt the telltale signs of your lips wobbling and your nose wiggling, and you’d rather not hear Rick bitch any further. 

Reaching Morty’s room, you knocked twice, straining your ear to hear any shuffling. When you remembered Morty was at school, you opened the door and entered the vacant room, making sure to carefully close the door behind you, making a soft click. 

You finally exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding, moving to sit on Morty’s bed. Slipping out the napkin from your back pocket, you stared at the phone number on it, written in blue pen. 

Where you seriously considering calling cop Rick?  You thought, nibbling your cheek.  We’re just friends. I’m not doing anything wrong.  Your mind argued as you took out your phone and dialed in the numbers before you had time to hesitate. 

‘ _He doesn’t-doesn’t control you._ ’  You remember cop Rick telling you, making a newfound heat flourish in your chest alongside a stronger justification in your actions as you waited for him to pick up. 

“ _I swear to god if this is another Indian scam call, I’m going to fu-f-fucking send the FBI after you fuckers!”_ You heard cop Rick yell into the phone. 

With a slight pause, you laughed, answering, “Hi, Rick. It’s me.” 

He gave his own pause, his voice lowering. “ _A-_ _Ah. Sorry-sorry about my language kitten._ ”

The nickname made your cheeks flush in a flustered heat. You shifted on Morty’s bed, pressing your back against the wall and pulling your knees up to prop your chin on your knees. “That..that’s okay, Rick. How’re you doing? Are you busy?”

“ _That’s irrelevant when you’re involved_.”  Rick stated casually, his words making your heart flutter and squeeze more than you’d like to admit. 

“ _Where’s your Rick?_ ” Cop Rick asked after a moment of silence between you. 

“I don’t really know anymore.” You whispered in reply, chewing your lower lip when a painful ping clenched your chest, anxiety twisting in your gut. 

When cop Rick didn’t reply, you felt sick. Did you come on too strong? Was opening up to him too soon annoying or bothersome? Now that you thought about it, you’d been a negative Nancy the entire time you’d communicated with cop Rick. Did you say something wrong?  Please, God .

“Rick?” You questioned, once again met with several seconds of silence. 

“ _I’m-I’m coming._ ”  Cop Rick replied finally as you heard his portal gun blast loudly. You blinked several times, confusion clouding your mind as the line went dead.

You screamed, covering your mouth with your hands hastily when a green portal materialized itself in Morty’s room, cop Rick stepped through. His expression lit up when he made eye contact with you and you couldn’t help but jump off the bed and throw your arms around him. 

“Rick!” You cheered, not believing he dropped everything suddenly to see you again. 

“Hey sweetie,” Cop Rick replied, his hand brushing your back briefly before gripping your shoulders and nudging you backwards. “I wanna take you somewhere s-special, alright?”

“Special?” You echoed in a question, stepping further back to make better eye contact with the cop. 

“Yeah. You’re gonna like-like it,” The man stated confidently, his hands slipping away from your shoulders, making you immediately miss the cold touch. His hand instead took your own, a sheepish smirk on his face. “Let me-me take you?” 

You grinned, squeezing his hand in your own tight grip. “Absolutely.”

Without further communication, the two of you stepped through the swirling green portal, it closing behind the both of you as you descended to another dimension. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ily Indian people 
> 
> Next chapter should be up soon! Leave a comment, sexy bitches. Scrumptious assholes. Have I persuaded you yet?


	3. Hurts so Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere, someplace, in some dimension, this reality is canon. That is what keeps me alive.

As soon as you had stepped through the portal with Cop Rick, your eyes were greeted with the most beautiful sight. Lush trees littered every corner of the green plains, their damp leaves drooping and kissing the soft grass. Pastel colored purple alien flowers stood several feet above you both and the sound of a soft, pink-colored steam graced your ears as it traveled to its unseeable goal beyond the green hills. The bright moonlight only highlighted the heavenly sight.

As you turned further to analyze your surroundings, a soft floral scent wafted the air, comparable to your Earth’s lavender flowers. The smell soothed you like painkillers to a headache. 

“Do you-you like it?” Cop Rick asked, causing you to turn toward him, your stomach erupting in butterflies. 

“Rick, I..I love it. Seriously. It’s so beautiful.” You replied, pressing your hand to your mouth in awe as you turned your back to him, hungrily taking in your surroundings. The sight was so captivating, you could hardly believe it was real. It was nearly surreal.

“Yeah i-it is.” Cop Rick answered in a whisper as he watched you with a softening expression. He took your hand once more, after a moment, leading you toward the lazy pink river. 

Kneeling down beside the river, Cop Rick used his hands as a cup, slurping up the pink liquid. You watched in both surprise and confusion. He laughed at your reaction. 

“I-I-It’s safe. I tested it last time I was-was here,” Cop Rick answered your silent question. “It’s actually-actually better than safe. Think of it as a natural herbal tea.” 

Having no real reason to doubt him, you shifted down onto your knees beside him. With the grass so lush and full, it acted like a cushioned seat. Using your hands in the same fashion as Cop Rick had, you leaned down and scooped up the pink liquid, carefully bringing it to your lips and downing it quickly before the mythical liquid slipped away between your fingers. The taste was sweet, like a cantaloupemerged with strawberry. You licked your lips in a haste, eager to keep the addicting taste tingling on your tongue.

“It’s good isn’t-isn’t it.” Cop Rick stated as more of a truth than a question. You nodded inaudibly, too content for words at the moment as you watched the pink stream carry on with its own destinationin mind.

After some seconds of silence, your curiously piqued. “You said you’ve been here before, right? Was it for a mission?” 

“No. It-it was with you,” Cop Rick corrected, causing you to snap your head toward him in visible confusion. “ My  d-dimension’s you.” He added quickly.

“Oh.” 

“Yea-Yeah.” Cop Rick mumbled, watching the stream as an uncomfortable quietness settled over the two of you. Sudden tension hung in the air, but you couldn’t place why. Nearly biting back asking more questions, but refusing to drop the topic so soon, you innocently pressed further.

“What happened to me?” 

“You were killed.” 

Before you could appropriately react, Cop Rick stood up. The once nice mood was now completely ruined due to your prying. You internally scolded yourself for messing things up so fast.

“L-Let’s get-get you back to your planet before your Rick bitches.” Cop Rick told you, his tone more commanding than you had ever heard it. “Time is distorted on this planet. You’ve been gone for prob-probably around 8 h-hours.” He then pointed his portal gun to his left, shooting a new portal into existence without waiting for approval.

You watched the swirling green portal hesitantly as it buzzed gently, waiting for something to enter through it before it decided to disappear into thin air. 

You froze, not sure whether you should comfort the clearly upset Rick and confront him or leave to give him space.

“Will you tell me that story, one day?” You requested softly, as if you were speaking to a deer about to flee. 

Cop Rick halted momentarily, his arm still raised from when he blasted the portal open. Slowly, he dropped his arm to his side. 

“Go.”

The reply hurt you more than you’d admit, standing there staring at him; his gaze hard and unreadable. You knew you wouldn’t get anything out of him tonight. Your eyes continued analyzing him, wordlessly begging for something.  _Anything_. The only thing you were met with was Cop Rick’s climbing irritation. His expression curling in slight anger. The sight looked too familiar — the face  your  Rick often made toward you. You realized that no matter what dimension Rick was from, you were always a bother to him.

You were only met with progressing disappointment and hurt when Cop Rick’s patience seemingly ran out, evident by the fact he opted to shoot another portal directly under your feet. You forcibly fell through the portal this time, landing back onto Morty’s vacant bed just as the portal dissipated. You laid there, unmoving as your turned your head slowly toward the window.

There was a full moon tonight, it’s light filtering through the gap between the shut curtains. The light was nothing compared to the paradise you were in not too long ago. The memory already seemed too distant and muddled, as if it never really happened. You questioned if it really did. But the sadness that settled in your stomach stressed the fact that the memory was real, because the way you felt was  _real_. 

Exiting Morty’s room to head to your own, you stepped out, clicking the door closed as carefully as you could before you were jolted in surprise. Morty was standing directly in front of you, staring at you confused.

“What-What were y-y-you up to in there?” Morty asked, blinking a couple times, tilting his head at you. 

You paused, shaking your head and thinking of a white lie. “Sorry,” You shifted on your feet, scratching your neck. “I was just looking for something I lost.”

“Did you-you find it?” 

A painful jab twisted your heart as you spoke. “No. No I didn’t. Where were you all day?”

Morty passed by you, opening the door to his room and turning to look back at you. “Me and Rick accidentally murdered an entire alien race. I-I-I don’t really want to talk about it honestly.”

“Well..” You started sheepishly, not exactly knowing how to carry the conversation further. “Goodnight.” You finished. 

He nodded at you and closed the door to his room. You hoped he didn’t notice that his bed sheets had been messily rearranged due to your odd day spent. Staring at the door for a moment longer, you finally decided to head to bed yourself. Mental exhaustion racking your brain and clouding your mind. 

You didn’t notice your Rick watching you from his position at the bottom of the stairs as you headed to your room sluggishly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My own angst made me sad. I’ve become too powerful.
> 
> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa


	4. I’ll Find You Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa

It had been several days without you hearing anything from Cop Rick. When three days stretched out to a week, you told yourself you needed to let go. A small part of you always believed it wouldn’t work out. Things never did when it came to the love department. But a larger part of yourself refused to just  _drop_ whatever this was between the two of you. 

When you awoke the next morning, you slipped your phone out from under your pillow, glancing at the napkin on your nightstand without pause. Before you could hesitate, you dialed in Cop Rick’s number and clicked the call button. Your heart hammered against your chest as you waited for an answer, unsure what you would say when he picked up. 

You didn’t exactly plan for him not picking up at  _all_. You felt disappointment settle heavily in your heart. Was he seriously ignoring you? Mustering up the courage to call a second time, you were unsurprisingly met with silence yet again. You felt your confidence and optimism plummet to zero.

_Was this really over?_

You laid in bed for an extra hour, staring at the white ceiling and hoping your phone would buzz. The silence ate at you, making your thoughts run in pointless circles. 

No call ever came.

_A Rick is a Rick, after all._ You scolded yourself yet again.

Finally accepting your seemingly destined loveless life, you exited your room, only for you to collide directly with your Rick as he shot his arm out to grab your shoulder, steadying your body. You nearly jolted seven feet in the air. 

“What the  _Hell_ Rick!” You hissed, your heart beating against your rib cage. You weren’t sure if it was because he surprised you, or because he was interacting with you for the first time in days. 

Without a word, he slid his hand further up your shoulder, the tips of his fingers caressing your neck. The touch jarred you. You shamefully couldn’t help the flush that covered your cheeks. His touch was electrifying simply because you missed it so much. Jerking away from the intrusive touch, you stumbled a couple steps, falling on your butt. You both gazed at each other for a second longer before he took you by the wrist, pulling you up on your feet and ramming you against the nearby wall, twisting your arm behind your back as you yelped in shock. 

“What the — what are you doing?!” You shouted, squirming around, your nose burning from its impact with the dry wall and your eyes naturally blurring in tears from the physical hit.

“C-c-calm the fuck down!” Rick yelled back, keeping a hand firmly pressed down on the arm twisted behind your back as he used his other arm to brush your hair away from the nape of your neck. 

You felt a pain radiate from the back of your neck as Rick showed you a circular black device that had been previously latched securely to your skin. You never noticed. You stared wide eyed, quietly waiting for an explanation as he let go of your arm and allowed you more freedom. 

“I planted-planted this shit on you and find out that within the span of a couple fucking  days  you can’t-can’t stay fucking still.” Rick answered your inaudible question. 

“What is this, Rick?” You bit out, anger building inside you, ready to explode. Your own breathing sounded loud to your ears as you panted in escalating anger.

“Y-y-you were with some other fucking  Rick weren’t-weren’t you?” Rick ignored your inquiry, throwing accusations at you. “But-but you haven’t left the house for-for week now. Did he fuck you and leave? I-It was that cop  _pig_ wasn’t it?”

Before you could think, your hand flew out, making impact with Rick’s cheek. You slapped him with ever ounce of power you had in your body. The hit relieved you of half your anger with the rest remaining. It wasn’t anger you felt. It was  betrayal.  Betrayal and sadness.

You filled in the silence, your voice more firm and unwavering than you truly felt at the moment. 

“I  _hate_ you.”

Rick froze, his eyes flashing with an emotion you didn’t have time to decipher before he grabbed your wrist more tightly than before. His expression nearly knocked the wind out of you, because it was  _identical_ to Cop Rick’s expression back when you asked him too many prying questions. The look of twisting anger.

“It doesn’t-doesn’t fucking  matter if you hate me, because you’re fucking  _mine_.”  Rick replied as he yanked you from your position against the wall with your wrist before turning you around and putting you into a headlock. You wheezed from his unforgiving grip even as he dragged you downstairs and to the garage like a hostage. He only let you go when he ensured every exit was properly locked with laser bars.

Your neck pulsed in pain from his earlier abuse as you watched him tinker with objects on his desk, searching for something. You felt your heart rate pick up as you slowly inched forward, slipping your hand around the first object you could reach which happened to be a screwdriver. Quickly, you hid the tool behind your back. When Rick turned to face you, a fearful shudder ran down your spine. 

He held a gun, his expression flat as he aimed it directly at you.

“What are you doing?” You whispered, frozen in your fear.

“Erasing your-your memories.” He responded, simply. 

“Fuck you Rick!” You shouted, throwing the screwdriver at him just as he planned to fire. The tool made direct contact with the gun, flinging it out of his hand before he had time to actually apply pressure to the trigger. Wasting no time, you flung yourself past him, grabbing the familiar portal gun residing on the counter. Momentary relief washed over you as you held the gun, now armed with a weapon yourself.

With lightening speed, he delved onto the floor, grabbing the mind eraser gun and pointing it back at you, this time his grip tight. You both stared at one another in a stand off, him pointing the mind-eraser gun at you, and you pointing the portal gun at him. 

“You-you won’t fucking do it,” Rick started, a grin on his face. “Every coordinate you memorized, every dimension and planet you’ve gone to — I-I know them all. Because-because I was the one who showed you them!”

Lowering the portal gun slowly, you gazed at Rick, tears clouding your vision before you hastily blinked them away. “You’re right,” You answered, watching his stance relax as you seemingly surrendered. “So find me,  _bitch_.”

Shooting the portal gun underneath you, you disappeared through it, the last thing you heard from Rick being, “Y-You fucking wh—“

The portal closed behind you as soon as you made contact with the ground in an alleyway. 

_At least Cop Rick taught me one thing before bailing_.  You thought dryly.

Peeking along the corner of the brick structure you were wedged between, you saw thousands — maybe  millions  of different Ricks and their various looking Mortys. You also spotted some versions of yourself walking amongst the buzzing square. You did it. You successfully transported yourself to the Citadel. Even if your Rick knew you were lurking around in the Citadel, you knew he would have a hard time locating you without the tracker. 

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up as you heard the voice of a Rick behind you, exiting the back door of the building you leaned against. 

“And-and fucking tell him, if he’s late on another payment, his throat’ll be hanging o-on display in my club.” He replied to someone you couldn’t see. When he turned to look ahead, he spotted you. You swallowed the lump in your throat, standing still. 

“Well helllooooo little lamb,” He hummed, pushing his sunglasses down to eye you more easily. “You-you lost? Where’s your Rick?”

You pressed the stolen portal gun to your side more firmly, knuckles white as you gazed hard down at the ground. The sharply dressed Rick flung an arm around your shoulder, his breath hot against the tip of your ear.

“Not here, _clearly_.” You finally replied.

His laugh surprised you, causing you to look up and inspect him more clearly. Your sour expression only drove more snickers out of the man. 

“Gotta a-attitude. I like that sugar-sugar plum,” The Rick brushed his hand along your jawline before pulling his arm away from around your shoulder. 

“Call me Miami, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuckin Rick man, Amiright?
> 
> Shout out to Bismuthe and Cutedemonlover. You’re the reason why this is still going, beautiful bastards


	5. Visiting the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took fucking forever to publish because I rewrote it four times 
> 
> Enjoy!

You protested as Miami placed a hand on your lower back, firmly leading you further down the alleyway to the same back door he had only recently exited from.

“This is-is  _my_ club, babe.” You could hear the man grin through his words as he pushed you forward past the metal double doors. 

Blaring music clashed with your ears, practically making your head vibrate from the noise. The club was lit with only dim purple and red lights; different Mortys displayed in provocative clothing and dancing on poles. The burning smell of sweat and alcohol made you wince. The most shocking sight, however, was the fact that you spotted various versions of  you  either serving drinks to other Ricks in skimpy clothing, or participating as an audience member, littering stipper Mortys with wads of cash.

Miami’s arm looped back around your neck, scaring you out of your dazed state. You felt him lean down to mumble into your ear. “Take a seat at the bar, everything — drinks on me.”

With another firm push from Miami, you felt yourself obediently walking in the direction of the bar, seating yourself beside a Rick who looked like he had  _way_ too much to drink. Drool plopped down from the corner of his lips onto the wooden bar counter, his face flushed. You internally prayed he wouldn’t give you too much trouble or attention. As you focused ahead, watching the Morty bartender shuffle around pouring shots for a particularly rowdy group of Ricks, you could see from your peripheral vision that the drunk Rick beside you was staring in your direction.

“Hey—“ He began, only to get interrupted by his own belch.

You groaned as your prayers were ignored. Turning in your stool to look at the man slowly, you gave a complimentary nod. You needed to strain to hear the otherwise soft-spoken drunk Rick.

“Do you believe in free will?” He wondered aloud, placing his head down on his crossed arms and looking up at you. 

You blinked, the strange inquiry throwing you off and taking you by slight surprise. The bartender Morty momentarily interrupted you, placing a shot of alcohol in front of you, his eyes lingering on you for a moment too long before he turned away and continued serving Ricks.

“Uh, well, I like to believe it exists.” You answered, pathetically.

“So why don’t people do what they want in life?” He countered. Though drunk beyond belief, the Rick’s eyes bore into your own, jumpstarting your heart in some form of adrenaline. When you searched his eyes, you saw emptiness and longing in them. 

After brief thought, you answered, “Money and time is our enemy.”

He shook his head, his drool wetting the sleeves of his white lab jacket as he spoke. “No. It’s because of consequences,” he corrected, his eyelids drooping now. “That’s why I’m here. Because I don’t want to  _feel_ the consequences.” 

Your confusion only increased when the drunk Rick’s hand sprung up to pet your hair. The affectionate touch warmed you. 

“You look just like them.” He whispered mostly to himself, the sentence nearly lost to you over the blaring club music. His hand dropped further down, caressing your cheek with his thumb. You allowed his hand to explore your face, silently watching his focused expression as he felt your cheek, then your nose, up to the fine line between your brows, until finally, his hand retreated. 

“The way you part your hair — the way your features twist when you feel upset or scared,” He began, his eyes closing with a flutter as a single tear raced across his cheek, disappearing behind his sleeve, “You don’t belong here.” He worded the last statement without audible volume. But you could read his lips.

His hand dropped beside his resting head, the strong alcohol finally sufficient enough to knock him out.

You brushed your hand over his, squeezing it. “Neither do you.” You replied, your voice drowned out from the music.

Humorously, it dawned on you that the drunkest, most  wasted  Rick you talked today didn’t stutter  _once_ during his speech. Drowning the shot quickly and wincing at the burn that came after, you stood, ready to leave.

A snag at your arm made you frown. 

“Leaving s-so soon baby doll?” You heard Miami ask, his hand now firmly clenched around your wrist. His expression was hard and threatening beneath his sunglasses despite his words. “You have something-something I wanna examine.” He then tilted his sunglasses down his nose bridge, eyeing the portal gun glued firmly to your side. Your grip tightened around it.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your  _kindness_ .” You returned with some venom in your tone.

He chuckled, using your wrist to yank you into him. You resisted with every ounce of power in your body until a sudden wave of nausea hit you. The combination of your vision twisting and the hard pull on your wrist caused you to stumble and lose your footing, practically running face-first into his chest.

“What did you..” You started, pressing a hand to your head and closing your eyes, dizzy from your tilting vision.

Miami pet your hair like a dog while wrapping his other hand around yours, squeezing it as he attempted to coax the portal gun from your grasp. Shoving the man away, you stumbled back. Miami’s face soured as he bit orders at the nearby bodyguard Ricks. You refused to stay back long enough for them to actually get ahold of your portal gun. 

Running with as much speed as you could conjure up while your vision swam, you bust through the front doors of the club, tumbling down a couple steps and landing onto your knees before hastily pushing yourself back up to your feet and shoving yourself into the crowd of thousands of other Ricks and their Mortys. 

Several Ricks cursed at you as you shoved past them, adrenaline coursing through your veins. You couldn’t care less, however, as you could hear several gunshots nearby, the sound nearly busting your eardrums. When a seemingly sufficient distance was created, you sped down the subway stairway, jumping into the nearest cart just as the train began moving. 

You crumbled into a seat, your panting deafening as other Ricks glanced at you, confused at your state. You squeezed your eyes shut, convinced this was all a nightmare you simply hadn’t woken from. 

When you opened your eyes, you realized you had long fallen asleep. The train was now more empty than it had been previously. The only person in the cart other than yourself was a Morty who looked homeless as he cuddled up against some crumpled up newspapers. Shifting to sit up, a pain shot through your shoulder.

“A-Alright, this is the last stop, you—.” A voice boomed out loud, flatly, before it interrupted itself. 

You turned to find the source of the voice, not believing your eyes when you saw Cop Rick. The man stared back in shock, his mouth gaped wide, as he traveled in wide strides to hurry toward you. When he finally reached you, he grabbed onto your arms. 

“Wh-What the fuck — what happened? Why are you here?” Cop Rick demanded, his body shaking as he impatiently awaited your answer.

“You never called me back.” You replied. 

Your dry humor didn’t make the man laugh, his eyes blown wide it worry. Without another word, the cop reached down, taking the portal gun still in your grasp to shoot a portal to his right. He then lifted you into his arms, stepping through the portal.

When the portal closed behind the both of you, you found yourself slowly registering your surroundings. It seemed to be a small, clean apartment. The curtains were closed, causing the living room to be doused in darkness. Cop Rick set you carefully down on the couch before he left. After a few seconds, he returned with a first aid kit. 

He quietly unbuttoned your blouse, inspecting your shoulder with a twist in his expression. 

“Are we on third base already?” You asked, relived when you saw his shoulders lose their tension. 

“You-You don’t have to tell me what happened,” He started, dabbing the gunshot wound you didn’t know you had with alcohol. “But if you die, it’s—that’s gonna be really shitty.” 

You hummed in agreement, turning to watch him as he focused on your wound. 

“T-the gunshot just about nicked your shoulder. You’re lucky it didn’t-didn’t take your entire shoulder.” He added after the silence ate at him. You could feel his hands tremble, something that seemed to foreign for a Rick to do. 

“I’m okay.” You said shortly, trying to reassure him. 

“You might’ve not been.” The policeman mumbled with more anger than he intended. 

“I’m sorry.” You surrendered, wincing as he wrapped a bandage around your wounded shoulder. 

Pain overtook Rick’s expression, his eyes flashing in sadness. “Y-you..you died before from a gunshot.”

Silently, you stared at him, waiting for him to continue. This time, you didn’t press him for answers. He would tell you if he wanted to.

“ _My_ dimension’s you.” He emphasized, closing his eyes to avoid looking at you. He looked as if he were confessing his sins to a priest. 

“You died because I-I..” Cop Rick trailed off as he swallowed a lump in his throat. 

“You died because I killed you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa
> 
> I had to leave it on a delicious cliffhanger like the sadist that I am
> 
> This is the song that was popping in Miami’s club: https://youtu.be/vYXgyj03P1w


	6. No More Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa  
> Ooh shit bitch, things are escalating faster than I can self-loath

Your thoughts raced a mile a minute in an attempt to scramble for a reason. A  _why_.  Your mouth hung in a gape, gazing at the suited man in both question and apprehension. 

Cop Rick swallowed the nervous lump in his throat, pulling a chair beside the couch you currently laid on. Settling on the chair, his eyes fell to his lap, reminiscing a past he attempted so desperately to bury in his soul. 

“I didn’t mean to..to kill you,” He began slowly, sounding as if he were trying to persuade himself. The starter was no doubt crazy to outside ears. His eyes lifted to make contact with your own desperate ones as he spoke, his gaze begging for a forgiveness you couldn’t truly possess. “I-it was an accident. Shit I — it was... I responded to a call, and the situation g-g-got fucking hostile,”

“ _Rick_.” You interrupted softly, your hand slipping over his and gently squeezing his clenched fist. You silently established your support for him. It wasn’t  _really_ your place to grant him forgiveness, but you knew that the version of you that once lived would have forgiven him.

As he continued, his body gradually tensed up, his eyes distant as he looked at nothing in particular. After a breath of air, he began his story once again, from the beginning. “We responded to-to a call about a Morty dealing drugs. It’s the same old story. A Morty acting up because they-they don’t have a Rick.” 

You nodded ever now and then, your eyes trained on him even as he avoided your strong gaze. 

“You were my partner in justice, and I-I fucked up — you got into a physical scuffle with one of the Mortys and I aimed and shot,” His eyes were wide like saucers, his entire body shaking as if he was reliving the moment. You wanted to comfort him; stop him as he neared his tipping point, but you were eager to piece together the entire story. 

“I took aim, and I shot. The blast i-i-it hit the Morty  _right_ in the abdomen — took his intentines out — and the blast was-was so strong, it went through you  _too_ ,” His voice climbed an octave, his hands finding his uniform pants and digging into them. “I-I-I watched you bleed out, I watched the fucking-fucking light leave from your eyes,” He panted, drool spouting down his lips as he gradually looked more Rick by the passing moment. “I held you in my arms and you had a gaping hole that matched that  _fuckers_ . Y-You-you’d think it’d be like a movie, where you would tell me your last words, b-b-but this is  reality.  One moment you were alive, the next you were  dead.  And it was all because of  _me_.”

The Rick buried his face into his hands as soon as he completed the telling, his eyes squeezed shut. You didn’t know how to make him better. You didn’t know if you could. Rather than settle with words, you leaned forward and wrapped your arms tightly around the cop, squeezing him close, allowing him to feel your presence. You wanted him to know that you were here for him, even if the version of you that once inhabited this dimension was no longer able to be.

“I forgive you.” You said, softly.

When he pushed you away by your shoulders with a strong jerk, you felt the brief sting of rejection. The feeling was quickly replaced with melting butterflies in your stomach as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to yours in a desperate embrace. Colorful stars seemed to explode behind your eyes at the feel of his passionate declaration. Twisting your arms around his neck, you pulled him closer into your embrace. Like a tango, he moved further forward to limit any remaining distance between the two of you, pressing a knee between your legs and pushing himself flush against you until his chest pressed comfortably to yours.

Before you knew it, his lips parted from yours, albeit with a small, teasing bite to your lower lip leaving you slightly breathless. He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to yours.

“I can’t stand another goodbye.”Cop Rick whispered, his words laced with pain.

Leaving you no room to reply, the cop moved away from your touch. Your fingers already felt starved for his skin. 

“Where’s your portal gun?” He asked unexpectedly. 

Without a verbal answer, you handed the gun over without a second thought. After quick inspection, he looked at you. “I need to get r-rid of this. All portal guns are traceable.”

“How will I go back to my dimension?” You probed, standing up now as you felt the earlier effects of the drugs in your system slowly diminish. 

With a light delay, Cop Rick studied you. “Do you  _want_ to go-go back your dimension? To your shit-shitty Rick?” The question sounded like an accusation as he bit it out with more attitude than he intended. When you stared at him mutely, his expression softened and his borderline hostile tone diffused itself. “There’s nothing to go back to.” He concluded.

“I can’t spend my entire life running away from my Rick, you know that.” You retorted, eyes lit ablaze. 

Cop Rick stared back, his face twisting in a mixture of pain and panic. He knew you were right, and he couldn’t think of a rebuttal. “I-I-I can get rid — I’ll get rid of this portal gun. I’ll get you an unregistered portal gun, he can’t—he can’t track it if it’s untraceable. It’ll have no history on it.”

“Where? Where Rick?” Your voice rose and your hands lifted to rub at your temples. “The only way you can hope to get a portal gun is through breaking the  law.  You could lose your position.”

“There isn’t  _law_ or justice to begin with in this shit hole. We’re all Ricks!” He reminded you, his brow furrowed. “I-It doesn’t matter if I break one law or seven — I’m a Rick and that creates an automatic bias!” 

Finding yourself on weakening ground, you bit at the skin on your lip, tasting a trace of Cop Rick there. “He doesn’t know for sure that it’s you I’m with!” 

“If he’s not already hot on your trail, he will be. It’s not a-a-a matter of  _if_ _,_ it’s a matter of  _when_ ,” Cop Rick responded, the grip around the portal gun tightening. “If his portal gun is with me, it-it’ll throw him off for a while. I want — I need to keep you safe.”

Disagreeing with his choices yet finding no better option, you closed your eyes, biting at your cheeks. “Fine. But you said it before,” You started, overwhelming emotions nearly washing you away, “No more goodbyes.”

Pressing a hand on your cheek, Cop Rick leaned in close, planting another soft kiss on your parted lips. It was more hurried than the last as he pulled away from the embrace too quickly for your tastes. He then brushed his lips across yours and closed his eyes, completely unguarded, allowing himself to internalize the moment that stood before him.

“No more goodbyes.” He echoed against your lips as he pulled away, stepping back and shooting a portal open with the stolen gun. He stepped through the artificial opening, taking the gun with him and never looking back. You were glad he didn’t catch glimpse of your watering eyes. When the green light emanating from the portal disappeared, you found yourself left in the dark apartment living room.

The period of loneliness was short lived by mere  seconds when another portal roared to life, the green light reflecting across your skin. You watched it intently, a feeling of fear rising in your stomach. There was absolutely no way Cop Rick would be back so quickly. Shuffling a couple steps back until the back of your feet hit the edge of the worn-down couch, you stared at the sight unfolding, your eyes refusing to blink and miss anything being presented to you.

The moment seemed to be traveling in slow motion. Your eyes took in the sight of a familiar tuft of white hair and the pristine lab coat you had memorized and burned into your mind. 

It was unmistakable. It was your Rick. 

Like a frightened bird, you scrambled toward the small kitchen to your left. The movement proved to be fatal as Rick shot one of his devices, causing you to remain suspended in the air, ostensibly frozen in time. Your body refused to move, enveloped by a pink plasma-like shield. 

Rick analyzed your panicked expression, your eyes darting between his own.

“S-S-Should’ve gotten rid of the portal gun the moment you stepped foot in the — at the Citadel.” He voiced, settling on the couch as if he were home. Pulling out the mind-eraser gun from his lab coat, he waved it around casually as he spoke.

“Did you — How long did you think you’d be able to stall me for? Realllllyyy took your time creating distance with yourself and  my  portal gun,” He emphasized that last part before he continued. “Kinda looks — seems like you  wanted  me to-to find you with how sloppy you were.” Rick finally stood, tired of speaking to himself. As he rounded you, he lifted the mind-eraser gun, pointing it straight at you.

“I-I-I had to go through the trouble of making a whole new portal gun,” He rambled, irritation clouding his expression. “Then I had to come back to this dipshit-looking Citadel full of Ricks less Rick than me!”

Your eyes silently pleaded with him, tears suspended in the air, caught by your plasma surroundings. You prayed he would continue talking, continue wasting time. A small part of you even wished Cop Rick would magically appear and save you this time. 

_But this is _ _reality_.  Cop Rick’s words reverberated in your mind.

The bright blue light blinded you as the mind-eraser gun buzzed to life. Your eyes rolled back in a jerk-like motion just as the pink plasma around you dissipated. Collapsing on the floor, you rubbed your head, lifting it to look at Rick. 

“Rick?” You glanced around at your surroundings, confusion overpowering your thoughts. “Where are we?”

Rick tucked away the mind-eraser gun, helping you up before shooting a portal open. “No where impoOUUUGGtant,” He grumbled, interrupted by a burp. “Let’s go.” He demanded, stepping through the buzzing portal as he took another sip from his flask. You followed behind him, pausing just before you entered the portal to glance at the dark apartment you resided in.

The feeling of your cheeks wet slightly surprised you, causing you to hastily swipe them away with the back of your palm. Desperate to escape the confusing feeling of longing, you stepped through the portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I post chapters at unholy hours because I am unholy


	7. The Cycle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have good news and bad news:
> 
> The good news: This is a mega-long chapter
> 
> The bad news: This is the final chapter. The final showdown baby.

“Aw, jeez, Rick. Y-y-you two’ve been gone for hours!” Morty complained as soon as the two of your exited the portal. Morty had just recently entered the garage, his arms in a cross.

Rick tossed his portal gun on one of the messy garage counters before taking out the flask in his lab jacket. “No, we  _haven’t_.”  The man emphasized with a particular bite in his tone, glaring at the boy. Morty somewhat coiled at the gaze, dropping the subject quickly.

You stood there, a tad awkwardly. Not particularly knowing where or how to insert yourself. When the two paused their momentary banter to glance at you, you felt the heat rise to your face. 

“I’ll just..be in my room if anyone needs me, then.” You stated quickly, squeezing yourself past Morty and marching out the garage to your room. Once you entered the safety of your own room, you closed the door, leaning against the barrier with your forehead. Relief flooded you as you successfully distanced yourself from Rick. 

“How’d you leave?”

You jolted nearly seven feet at the unexpected voice, turning quickly to find yourself face-to-face with Cop Rick. There were traces of betrayal and concern on his expression. The man cornered you against the door, his hands planted firmly beside both sides of your head. 

“Who are you?” You asked, the tremble in your voice catching you off guard.

From your answer, Cop Rick’s expression hardened, some part of his theory being verified. “I knew — he stole your memory like the  bastard  he —  _I_ —  am.” The policeman sputtered, slamming a frustrated fist beside your head. He ignored your flinch, even though the fear directed at him made his heart sink. Tucking one of his hands behind your hair, he ripped out a tracking device from the nape of your neck. It matched the one your Rick had used on you not too long ago. 

“Rick!” You screamed for your Rick in fear. Most of your shouts were in vain as Cop Rick pressed a firm hand over your mouth. You eyed him, a newfound fear eating at you.

“I know you don’t know who I am anymore,” Cop Rick started, his other hand clenched around your hip, digging into the bone in desperation. “But-but you have to trust me. Your Rick, he-he stole your  _memories_.” 

You exhaled audibly from your nose, the news making your nostrils flare in disbelief. When your bedroom door suddenly flung open, throwing both you and Cop Rick off balance, you tumbled on top of the man.

“What-what the  _fuck_.”  You heard your Rick hiss, the doppelgängers frozen glaring at one another. The two broke their immobility at the same exact time, Rick pointing a gun at the cop, while Cop Rick held a gun to your head. 

Sensing a hesitance from your Rick, Cop Rick slowly stood, lifting you up and wrapping an arm around your neck in a headlock. The gun remained planted against your temple as he held you like a hostage. Your legs trembled as you chewed your lip, gazing at your Rick in distress. 

“Shoot and I shoot too.” You heard the man behind you state confidently. 

“Rick.” You whispered, swallowing the lump in your throat, unsure of whether this would be your death. Rick’s eyes darted to yours for a second before they returned to the policeman.

“It’s unlike a Rick to fuck someone and come back, willingly.” Rick said, a smirk on his face. Cop Rick scowled at the man, pressing the gun more roughy to your temple with a cocking sound. You couldn’t help your whimper of fear.

“Stop-stop talking, dipshit. Give me the vial — the one with their memories in it.” 

“Why the  fuck would I do that?” Rick asked, his gun also buzzing as he cocked it ready. 

“I-I-I’ll blow their fucking-fucking brains out!” Cop Rick warned, his arm around your neck tight, almost depleting you of all your oxygen. Your lungs burned. 

“Like Hell you-you will.” Your Rick rebutted, the smirk on his face only growing. “I  _know_ you wouldn’t because you’re fucking  _me_.”

Ignoring your Rick’s rant, Cop Rick closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, readying himself as his voice dropped several octaves lower. “I’ll ask you one more time,” He spoke, slowly. “T-Their memories — the vial. Give it to me.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

The moment almost moved in slow motion as Cop Rick leaned forward, his eyes glancing into yours. He pointed the gun down, shooting right through your foot. His eyes never left yours as the blast made you scream in agony, your legs failing you as you collapsed back into the tight arm of the man restricting you.

“You  _fucker_!” Rick shouted, his teeth gritted as his resolve began to diminish. 

“T-The vial,” Cop Rick repeated once again, eyes now trained on the weakening man in front of him. When he noticed your Rick hesitating, the uniformed man took your hand, pressing the gun to the inside of your palm, the gesture a warning. “I’ll blow their hand off.”

With a low grunt, Rick dropped his gun, surrendering for the time being. “Fine! Just let them go, ass-asshat!”

“Kick the gun.” Your captor commanded. Rick abided by his rules, kicking his gun several feet away from himself. You couldn’t help the continuous whimpers and sobs of pain.

Forming a wordless agreement, the two traveled to the garage with Rick leading the both of you downstairs. Cop Rick made sure to lift the majority of your dead weight as you were dragged to the garage, hissing in pain. Morty was shoved aside by both men, Cop Rick giving the boy an intimidating, warning stare.

“R-Rick? What the Hell’s going on?” Morty asked, eyes widened as he took in your groaning form. He was promptly ignored.

Rick only granted the boy a glare, their eyes lingering a second too long before the scientist looked away. You didn’t have the energy to further analyze the odd transaction.

Rick opened a small compartment atop one of the garage counters. The red vial was slowly lifted up by mechanical means, standing on a small stand before the scientist grabbed it. 

“A trade.” Rick said, scowling at the man holding you. 

“I-I-I wasn’t born yesterday,” Cop Rick mumbled, eyes observing the trapped red liquid. “How do I know it’s real?”

“I’m an asshole, not a fu-fucking low-life liar.” Rick replied, holding the vial out. 

Waiting not a second longer, Cop Rick shuffled closer with you in tow, taking the vial from your Rick. After a brief inspection, he knew it was the real thing. He pocketed the item in his police vest. 

“A healing serum. G-give it to me.” The man demanded soon after. Your Rick failed to hide his irritation, obliging as he had no reason to deny you medical help. He tossed the syringe full of a green healing fluid and Cop Rick stuck the needle in your neck, pushing the liquid into your bloodstream. A feeling of warmth radiated through your body. Any feeling of pain you felt disappeared in a matter of minutes. 

“We made a deal.” The scientist said to the policeman, reminding him. Rick’s eyes trained on you as he spoke. There wasn’t a hint of concern on his features. Rather, your Rick looked as if he were reattaining an object of great value. The man in question stepped closer to the both of you, standing in arm’s reach. Cop Rick’s arm involuntarily tightened around your waist at the other’s action. You internally wished to be in the arms of your Rick, away from this madman. 

“Please save me.” You mouthed to your Rick.

“I-I guess we  are  different after all,” Your captor exclaimed. “I’m a low-life liar.” 

The policeman removed the gun pressed to your temple, tossing it at Rick in one fluid motion. His empty hand was immediately replaced by the stolen portal gun he was supposed to have gotten rid of. Just as he was about to shoot his way to freedom with you in his grasp, your Rick shouted at Morty. 

“Fuck — now, Morty!” 

The sudden grunt of pain behind you resonated through your bones. One moment you were in the arms of your captor, and the next you were in the arms of your Rick. The scientist seemed to have lunged forward, grabbing you by wrist with a pull just as Morty shot. The motion was dizzying. 

Cop Rick dropped to his knees, holding his stomach. Blood seeped through the uniform he wore, the red liquid nearly invisible against his darkly-colored outfit. When the man’s hands retreated from his wound, his hands were doused in red. His face bore an expression of shock and disbelief.

“Rick— Ah, jeez, I got him, Rick!” Morty celebrated, a tremble in his voice as he dropped the gun in his hands. 

A wave of relief flooded your senses before it was quickly replaced with a feeling of bewildering sadness. The fallen Rick’s eyes never left yours, even as his eyes began to look glossy and distant. You held onto your Rick, clawing into his lab coat. You couldn’t look away from the gruesome sight. 

“Shit-shitty shot, Morty.” Rick called out to the boy, already grabbing the flask from the inside of his lab coat and taking a swig of it. 

You couldn’t understand the choking feeling of pain circling your heart as you watched the man before you slowly dying. Without a second thought, you found yourself slowly inching toward the fallen figure, eyes wide as you took in the dreadful image. 

_“I watched you bleed out, I watched the fucking light leave from your eyes,”_

Dropping onto your knees, your pants immediately soaked up the dark red oozing from the policeman. This man was your captor. He  _shot_ you. He put a tracker on you, like some dog. He proved he was as batshit crazy as any other Rick. And yet, you were here,  crying for him. 

_“One moment you were alive, the next you were dead.”_

Pressing a blood-soaked hand on your cheek, the man laid there, his expression soft, unafraid. You didn’t understand this. You didn’t understand why you were crying. Your tears plopped onto his cheeks, sliding down toward his ear. With his other hand, Cop Rick unpocketed the vial, unclenching your fist and planting the item there.

_“And it was all because of me.”_

His eyes trailed to yours in a lazy pace, unspoken words traveling a mile a minute. He looked like he wanted to convey something to you, but he struggled to do so. You wished you could decipher this man lying here, dying. When he dropped his hand from your cheek, he left a smear of red in its wake. His eyes looked up, past you and unmoving now. The smell of copper plagued your nose. 

You were surprised at how dark blood was. You were surprised at how quickly life leaves someone. You were surprised that death really existed; never once experiencing it beforehand. It never seemed real.

Rick pulled you away from the body by your shoulder, his expression souring. “Y-you’re fucking soaked in blood, go change. Me and Morty’ll take out the trash.”

You nodded robotically, standing up and leaving the garage. The scene never left your mind, haunting and crisp in your memories. Like a machine, you stripped your clothing, obediently showering, yet never letting go of the red vial within your grasp. The hot water failed to faze you into wakening. After five minutes of hot torture on your skin, you left the shower, naked and wet. Giving the bathroom mirror a short swipe of your hand, you stared at your reflection, the splatter of blood on your cheek no longer evident. You then left the bathroom, not bothering to clothe yourself. 

Entering the garage once more, you noted that Rick’s ship was gone. Amazed yet not surprised, the cop’s body was removed from its original spot with no traces of blood that could be observed anywhere. It was somewhat alarming at how well Rick cleaned up within a short period of time. 

Giving the red vial in your hand a once-over, you searched for the helmet which paired with the item. It didn’t take long for you to find it, tucked away in one of the many compartments found in the garage. You planted the headgear onto your head and clicked the vial into place as your eyes rolled back, memories returning to you like a tsunami. 

Feelings of love and adoration, of uncertainty and hope, and finally, of anger, mourning and betrayal. You found yourself laughing in crazed spurts of happiness which progressed into scowls of anger, and then, sobs of grieve, of loss.

—

“That red vial,” Rick stepped in front of you as you watched inter-dimensional TV. “Know where it is?” His tone carried one of accusation.

You hummed, acting as if you were thinking. “That stupid thing? Wasn’t it on that cop?”

The man scoffed at your dumb answer, crossing his arms. “O-obviously not. I would’ve found it on his person alongside the portal gun he  _stole_ from me.”

“Ah.” You answered, uninterested, “It probably fell out of his pocket during all that conflict.”

“That’s-that’s not possible. I cleaned up. It wasn’t there.” Rick argued, crossing his arms.

Just then, Morty interrupted your conversation. “Oh! Rick..” He rubbed at the back of his neck, sheepish. “I actually pocketed that thing, I-I-I forgot to give it to you.” He unearthed the infamous vial from his pocket, handing it over to Rick who snatched away the item.

“Nice-Nice going,  _Morty_.”  Rick bit out sarcastically before returning to the garage with the vial. You knew he would destroy the article rather than store it and risk you finding it.

You gave Morty a complementary nod, silently thanking him for playing his part as you asked. You felt guilty using the boy, but you knew it was necessary in order to keep your newly-retrieved memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this rollercoaster of a story! Don’t be sad. I’ve just started working on a Rick x Morty fanfiction called “Path to Liberation,” so check it out if your interested! 
> 
> Anyway, leave a comment, let me know what you thought of the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: SaltNPeppa


End file.
